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innovation in Tourism & Hospitality
The period from January 2000 to the present has been a revisit to the end of the eighties and early nineties. The Industry was infallible.
We expected 10 million visitors (per annum) to Australia by the new millennium, with new markets declaring us the destination of choice, and technology bringing us access to communities and demographics unknown in the 60's and 70's. The Asian areas are serious markets. The North American and European markets undulate according to their economies and world political agitation, but they continue to grow and clamour for the charming guilelessness of Australia. We are considered the best by the international media and Australia continues to be a "flavour of the month".
The Olympic Games 2000 reaffirmed that our successes at winning the America's Cup, the Davis Cup, the World Cup and other events. We are good at what we do and export so much talent and intellectual capital that in many world centres it is almost a cliché to the locals that the Aussies are running the "show", so it will be sound. The cinema awards for production, animation, special effects and acting in the last 5 years, have been extraordinary. The abundance of international leaders of industry running Fortune 500 countries globally is a credit to the education and training programs of our competitive nation. We forget sometimes that an Australian runs the World Bank and the Coca Cola Company among other great organisations. Australia is good at Vocational Education & Training in Tourism and Hospitality, but there is much room to improve.
A recent global report completed by the Centre for Hospitality Research at New York's Cornell University School of Hospitality Administration, in surveying 1200 hotel General Managers, found "enthusiasm" in the industry and although room rates had fallen and meetings and conventions were lower in some markets, 22 percent of the responding hotels reported no cancellations in their group bookings. "Operators are optimistic and intend to stay on course", said Cathy Enz, Executive Director of the Centre and principal investigator. Focus is on local business, weekend packages and regional business. Most operators are holding firm on Human Resources and 25% expect to make changes in their staffing levels, 20% project to keep employee hours about the same. Where do we go from here?
Best Western Hotels, the world's largest hotel chain™, announced recently they will open up to 300 new properties in 2003/4. There is fresh and vigorous media interest with Australia for a large number of travel, entertainment and sporting events. We are doing what we did after the times we have had; we are doing what we do in a drought; we are being resourceful and opportunistic. The good operators are increasing trading and will continue to prosper. We will be in need of strong, well-educated and trained professionals. We are better but we have to rethink our business plans, get closer to our customers support and invest in staff training.
The Tourism and Hospitality Industry is the world's largest employer, accounting in 2002 for more than 240 million jobs globally and it is growing by up to 6 percent per annum.
In Australia, it is the second largest single industry generating up to 1.2 million direct and indirect jobs in all sectors. Between 2003 and the year 2010, the projected increase in tourism expenditure is estimated to generate 325,000 additional jobs for Australia.
With the successful introduction of National Tourism, Hospitality and Caravan Training Packages in Australia, further major inroads have been made in the development of the industry training framework which provides for quality vocational education and training at all levels in Tourism and Hospitality - but there is still much to achieve.
we are keen to increase entry level and mature age training in rural, regional and outback areas as well as raising Tourism and Hospitality enrolment in Secondary Schools across Australia.
The Tourism Industry across the globe continues to work with all Industry partners as we prepare for the challenges ahead.
Industry working together will develop a well trained, efficient workforce to meet the needs to the year 2006 and beyond.
The Tourism industry of Australia has completed another successful year.
I am pleased to see the ongoing positive results of the International Marketing Campaign which especially promotes domestic tourism in all States and Territories across Australia and across the globe.
Given the changing state of the world economy, tourism and hospitality is providing not only welcome employment but also support to both rural and outback properties operating as part of the tourism and hospitality infrastructure. However a sound note of practical advice to these new operators is the need for the provision of quality product which will help to ensure long term profitable returns.
The National Ten Year Plan for Tourism in Australia continues to move ahead and I strongly suggest that you download the information from the several hundred submissions, available online at no cost to you. These submissions are tangible sign-posts for future direction, but of more importance, they are current and provide quality information. (Download the Ten Year Plan for Tourism Discussion Paper Here)
A sustainable tourism and hospitality industry is our prime responsibility as we move through this decade of rapid change but we certainly have a long way to go before we can all be honestly confident of quality assured standard levels in all sectors of our industry. The majority of our industry operation is small business and it is in this arena that most help is needed - particularly in rural, regional and outback areas of Australia.
During this current twelve months, a number of organisations have been participating in "Innovations in the Workplace" Practice and Procedure Workshops where the result is increased people (employees) skills which leads to improved product and increased profit for Tourism and Hospitality enterprises.
Our industry may well be in good hands at present but
we all need to increase our contribution to the progress and well-being
of the industry's infrastructure if we are to reap the benefits of this
decade of sustained growth in tourism and hospitality. 
W. R. GALVIN O.A.M.
